439
FXUS65 KBYZ 191842
AFDBYZ
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BILLINGS MT
1242 PM MDT WED AUG 19 2026
KEY MESSAGES
- BRIEF RETURN OF SMOKE AND HAZY SKIES TODAY.
- DRIER CONDITIONS TODAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
- SEASONAL TEMPS IN THE 80S TO LOWER 90S THE REST OF THE WEEK.
INCREASING CHANCE OF PRECIPITATION OVER THE WEEKEND.
DISCUSSION
TODAY THROUGH TUESDAY...
A WEAK RIDGE OVER THE PACIFIC NW IS SET TO MAKE ITS WAY INTO THE
REGION OVER THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS BRINGING WARM AND MOSTLY DRY
CONDITIONS. SMOKE IS EXPECTED TO SLIGHTLY INCREASE TODAY ACROSS
SOUTHEAST MT, BUT IMPACTS TO THE SURFACE WILL BE MINIMAL. WEAK
ENERGY RIDING OVER THE RIDGE WILL PROVIDE SMALL PRECIPITATION
CHANCES FOR AREA MOUNTAINS THURSDAY EVENING (LESS THAN 10%). INTO
SATURDAY, TROUGHING BEGINS TO MOVE UP INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST,
PUTTING THE REGION INTO SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT AND SOUTHEASTERLY AT
THE LOWER LEVELS. WEAK ENERGY MOVING UP THROUGH SOUTHWEST FLOW AS
WELL AS INCREASING ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE LOOKS TO BRING LOW TO
MODERATE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SATURDAY AFTERNOON
AND EVENING. THERE IS SOME UNCERTAINTY ON THE COVERAGE OF THESE
THUNDERSTORMS, ESPECIALLY WITH THE LACK OF FORCING. WITH ENSEMBLES
SHOWING PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES BEING 100-200% OF NORMAL, IT
WILL BE SOMETHING TO WATCH. AS TROUGHING MOVES THROUGH THE
NORTHERN PART OF THE STATE SUNDAY, ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED. WITH BREEZY CONDITIONS EXPECTED WITH
THESE FRONTAL PASSAGES AND DRYING BEHIND THE FRONT SUNDAY, TIMING
WILL BE SOMETHING TO WATCH, ESPECIALLY FOR POTENTIAL FIRE WEATHER
CONCERNS. SMALL CHANCES FOR AFTERNOON SHOWERS EXIST FOR MOUNTAINS
ALONG THE MT/WY BORDER AS MONSOONAL MOISTURE WORKS ITS WAY IN
UNDER WEAK RIDGING EARLY NEXT WEEK. AROUND SEASONAL TEMPERATURES
IN THE 80S TO LOW 90S WILL PERSIST THROUGH THE PERIOD. TS
AVIATION
HAZY SKIES WILL RETURN TO MUCH OF THE AREA TODAY AS SMOKE FROM
DISTANT WILDFIRE DRIFTS INTO THE REGION FROM THE NORTH AND
NORTHWEST. EXPECT SOME REDUCTION IN SLANT RANGE VISIBILITY, WITH A
FEW LOCATIONS OVER THE EASTERN PLAINS OF MONTANA (INCLUDING KMLS
AND KBHK) POTENTIALLY SEEING SURFACE VISIBILITY REDUCTION BELOW
10SM, THOUGH LIKELY STILL ABOVE 6SM, THIS EVENING INTO THURSDAY.
WITH THAT SAID, CONFIDENCE IS LOW ON EXACT VISIBILITY REDUCTIONS.
OTHERWISE, VFR CONDITIONS WILL PREVAIL UNDER A FEW HIGH CLOUDS. LA
PRELIMINARY POINT TEMP/POPS
THU FRI SAT SUN MON TUE WED
-----------------------------------------------------------
BIL 059/093 063/091 064/090 064/093 061/087 061/089 062/091
00/K 00/U 01/B 21/B 20/U 11/B 21/B
LVM 050/093 056/093 056/087 054/087 050/085 050/086 051/087
00/U 00/U 04/T 53/T 11/U 22/T 42/T
HDN 055/094 059/093 061/094 061/096 058/089 057/091 058/093
00/K 00/U 01/B 21/B 20/U 11/B 21/B
MLS 059/091 062/090 062/091 066/096 063/088 060/089 062/092
00/K 00/U 00/B 21/B 10/U 00/U 21/U
4BQ 060/092 063/093 063/090 066/094 063/089 061/089 062/092
00/K 00/B 01/B 42/W 20/U 11/B 11/U
BHK 055/090 057/091 055/088 060/091 058/089 055/089 056/091
00/K 00/B 00/N 32/T 20/U 11/U 11/B
SHR 053/091 058/092 058/091 060/091 056/087 055/088 055/090
00/U 00/U 01/B 22/T 11/U 12/T 11/B
BYZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES
MT...NONE.
WY...NONE.
WEATHER.GOV/BILLINGS
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